Former Syracuse DB Ibn McDaniels headed to Penn State
Penn State continues to build out its secondary, adding former Syracuse defenisve back Ibn McDaniels following an official visit.
A Class of 2024 recruit from Elizabeth High School in New Jersey, McDaniels was no stranger to PSU’s previous staff, attending the 2023 White Out camp. He worked out as a wide receiver that day but put up some outstanding numbers, running a 4.4-second 40 and a 4.2-second shuttle. McDaniels also showed off his explosion with a 31-foot, 7-inch broad jump. That’s a distance few can match.
However, at the time, McDaniels was expected to spend a year at a prep school to improve academically before moving on to the Division I level. With hard work, he ended up not having to do that, which is why former head coach James Franklin and his staff invited McDaniels back to campus in November 2023. The Nittany Lions showed strong interest but never made an offer.
Link: Penn State set to host coveted transfer offensive lineman on Thursday
During his freshman season at Syracuse, McDaniels played in four games, prompting him to redshirt to preserve four years of eligibility. He then totaled 78 snaps at cornerback in Syracuse’s first four games of the 2025 season, only to see his snaps drop as the season went on. Including special teams, he played in 11 games, totaling two tackles.
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McDaniels earned interest from other teams in the portal as well. In addition to taking an official visit to Temple, he had official visits set with Rutgers, Kentucky and UConn. James Madison also offered him yesterday.
So far, Penn State has only lost three cornerbacks to the transfer portal, but those three players also totaled nearly 1,000 snaps last season. Former Iowa State defensive back Jeremiah Cooper remains a name to know, but has just one remaining season to play.
Position coach Terry Smith is currently hosting another cornerback with college football experience and has multiple years of eligibility remaining.
Blue White Illustrated subscribers can learn all about that here.